Skip to main content

Food in Ohio

Johnny Chapman a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed, a frontier hero, brought apple seeds with him from Massachusetts in the early 1800 and those seeds he planted are the origin of the many apple trees in Ohio.

Oatmeal is very popular as a cereal now, but it was only used as animal fodder until a mill near Akron decided to treat it an the production of processed oatmeal started.

It is best to learn about food, cooking and general life in Ohio directly from the people that have lived and visited the state as they share their Ohio stories.

Ohio foods

Ohio is probably one of the largest hot-house tomato producers.

…and food events

Not entirely a food event, the Circleville Pumpkin Show opens with the Pumpkin Weigh-in, where you can see monster pumpkins well over 1000 pounds. It features a Miss Pumpkin and Little Miss Pumpkin pageant. One can see -an enter- all sort of contests, like egg tossing, big wheel race, pumpkin toss, pets, pie eating, and hog calling. Be prepared for plenty of pumpkin recipes.

Recipes from Ohio

Prepare fine Cincinnati chili over pasta - Amish stuffing - buckeyes.

…and other stories

Breakfast on the farm had to be substantial as breakfast was eaten after the morning chores. A hearthy breakfast with eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast.

Ohio

The Buckeye State

Capital: Columbus

State animal: White tailed deer

State bird: Cardinal

State insect: Ladybug

State tree: Buckeye

State Flower: Scarlet carnation

 

The name Ohio is due to the Ohio River, which was named in turn after the Iroquois term for something large “o-hy-o.”

 

The buckeye tree has large seeds –despite not being a large tree- that look like the eye of a deer –a male deer is a buck, hence the name. This shade tree used to grow in Ohio plains and hills.

Ohio sites

Ohio Historical Society - look around and you might see inof about historic cooking classes.
Ohio oficial - state government and official site.
Ohio public library network - one of the best things -consistently- in USA.

Visit

Chilicothe, great during the summer - very quiet in the winter.

 

Do you have any story, tips, best moments in Ohio? Share it in Ohio stories.